Moving to Portland

Are you considering long distance moving to Portland? If you are looking for information on the area, and help with your move to Portland then allow us to guide you. We will provide you with up to 10 free and personalized quotes from top experienced moving companies who will safely transport your possessions from door to door, inter-state or internationally.

Portland is located in the North West of the state of Oregon in the North West of the US. It is located close to the Columbia River and is the state’s largest city.

Infrastructure / Job Prospects

If you are are thinking of long distance moving to Portland for work, you should probably know that average personal income per capita in the state was just over $32,000.

Some of Portland’s largest private employers are in the technical services sector and the state is well known for its high technology companies. In particular the area near Portland known as Silicon Forest is home to a cluster of hi-tech companies specializing in the areas of Silicon device fabrication, Software, and Imaging systems.

The largest and most well known in the state is probably Intel who is also one of the areas largest and most important employers. Other well known software companies with a presence in Portland or the surrounding area include Symantec, WebTrends, Sage and AutoDesk and OSDL (the employers of Linux creator Linux Torvalds).

Although the region was hit hard after the dot com bubble burst, it has since recovered and has recently been targeted by bio-tech companies moving to Oregon for the local high tech resources, most notably Genentech.

Portland is also home to a large number of arts organizations, including the performing arts, particularly Ballet and Theatre, with the presence of many theatres supporting the various local groups. It is also an important city of music, being home to one of the oldest Symphony Orchestras in the country.

The city is also home to a large number of artists, who benefit from the relatively low rents and strong local art interest. The strength of the art market is improving in the city, and this is due in part to the support of local government through Portland Arts and Culture Council and other local arts organisations to try and improve the city’s recognition throughout the country, and the rest of the world, by promoting free-museum days, and encouraging financial support in the form of studio space. Currently, those interested in fine art are well catered for with the Portland Art Museum, one of the US’s largest museums, the Portland Art Center and the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, amongst others in the city. Galleries have also flourished in certain areas, especially downtown Portland.

Portland changed its local law allowing drinking on brewery premises in the 1980s and the city’s proximity to high quality crops of barley, hops and a good water source led to the almost inevitable rise of microbreweries. Portland is now famous for its breweries and currently has more than any other city. It is also renowned in beer circles for the high quality of its microbrew beers.

Several events celebrating the local produce have sprung up, including the Oregon Brewers Festival and the Portland International Beerfest, both held each year in July.

Living cost and Taxes

After moving to Portland you will be subject to the state of Oregon’s tax system. After you move you will have to file a part year resident return or Oregon Form 40P. Once you become a resident your income will become taxable by the state, and this includes retirement income.

The state has one of the highest rates of income tax in the country, of between 5 and 9%, with all income after the first $6500 charged at 9%

This is offset by other factors, however, as Oregon is one of the few states not to levy a tax on sales, and has one of the lowest overall personal tax rates in the US.

If you have a car and are moving to Portland from a different state you should also consider the costs of registering it, which may amount to several hundred dollars, depending on the type of vehicle and how long you are registering for.

For those thinking of moving to Portland and starting a business the corporation tax is 6.6%

Ports

The Port of Portland manages Portland’s deep water river port which operates cargo services.

The port dealt with over 14 million tons of cargo in 2007, and has experienced growth of over 20%. In 2007 it facilitated the export of over 4 million tons of grain and 5 million tons of mineral and the import of around 10 million tons of cargo moving to Portland.

Major airports

Portland International Airport (PDX) is the city’s largest airport and the most important airport in the state. It provides daily international flights to destinations in Asia, Europe and South America, including the cities of Mexico City, Tokyo, Singapore and in Europe, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. The airport was recently voted number one US airport by travelers in terms of customer service in a survey.

Portland is also home to the only Heliport in the state.

Population Density

Portland is home to over half a million people, and an important city at both state and national levels, with a worldwide reputation for Electronics, Software and other Hi-Tech industries.

The city has a population density of around 4000 people per square mile.

Portland Facts

Portland, one of the state’s largest cities, is known as the вЂњThe City of RosesвЂќ due to its perfect climate for rose growing, and is well known for the large number of rose gardens found throughout the city.

The state’s Orchestra, which is based in Portland is The Oregon Symphony. Founded in 1896, it is the oldest Orchestra in the western US.

Portland is known as one of the greenest cities in the world, and is currently believed to be the second greenest city, after Reykjavik.

Portland is the most diverse area in the state, although the population, as with the rest of the state, is predominantly white. People moving to Portland and other urban areas are contributing to an increasing diversification. Around 60% of the immigration is from non-white ethnic groups.

If you are planning a long distance move to Portland, we recommend you fill out the free estimate form, which will allow you to specify details of the possessions you would like to take with you when you move. We will provide you with up to ten free, personalized quotes from pre-screened inter-state and international moving companies.